


Through Black Eyes

by bittyasiankit



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Female Jack Patillo - Freeform, GTA AU, M/M, POV Female Character, Phsyical Torture, Psychological Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-04-21 08:27:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittyasiankit/pseuds/bittyasiankit
Summary: It's a slow-paced (for right now) story!  I'll add tags as it progresses.





	1. Inside, Safe...and Sound

You awoke from the bed, not willing to throw yourself out of the warm that enveloped your body.  Everything but your feet were warm, and it reminded you of the position you were in.  The rustling next to you made you stiffen slightly, but you kept your eyes shut for fear of being caught awake.

"Don't play such a game with me; it won't get you anywhere," a groggy voice echoed around you as the covers were ripped from your weak hands.  With your eyes sewn shut, your body stiff, and a dull ache resonating from healing ribs and reset limbs, you remained immobile.  It did not last long, gruff hands grasped your large sleep shirt and lugged you over a rather square shoulder.  You still refused to move or open your eyes, until you were unceremoniously dropped onto the floor.  A small, muffled moan escaped your clenched jaw as you rubbed your elbow and pulled yourself towards the closest wall you could press your back against.  You finally jack your eyes open and stare at the floor, softly blinking and letting hair hide your deflated face.

"He's waiting for you in the hospital for your daily injection," you heard a fleeting voice as a slight heel clack away from you.  You stand slowly, heavily leaning on the wall as your knees wobbled.  You slowly lift your head, eyes hard and emotion blank.  You knock slightly on the hospital room's door, letting the rapping say everything for you.  It opened for you, but you did not move anywhere, gaze still forward.  Finally settled on the lone empty hospital stretcher, you laid yourself down and sewed your eyes shut once again.

_To defeat, you first must become_


	2. Too much Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silence can get annoying, but what if everything was being said.

You wondered around the apartment, half aimless and half purposeful.  You snaked through the corridors, face blank and body tense.  You found yourself at the fire escape to the roof, but you can't muster the energy to look up or even touch the ladder.  The roof was your sanctuary, but it was now not your own.  You stood there for what felt like seconds, only for Jack to carry you back to the Kitchen seven hours later.  You stood in the middle of the room, warm tea waiting for you on the glass dining room table.  Your eyes flitted towards the tea, hand shaking slightly at such the inviting and warming sight.  You shifted towards your non-dominant side, and gingerly tested the floor aimed at the tea.  You felt your body decompress slightly and for the first time, you allowed a small smile.

In the matter of seconds, everything went south.  You ducked and rolled away from the tea and towards the safety of the shadows.  Your eyes narrowed, and you instinctively reached for your knife concealed in your garter.  Coming back empty-handed, you shrunk more and more into the shadows cast by the floating island.  You barely drew a breath as you winced at the familiar voices.

"Can you just do it?"  The annoyance was seeped in anger.

"If you think she'll be okay at the end of it, then I'll do it.  I don't think Kitty will like it, but I'll do it anyway."  A vague assurance laced the voice carried by the intimidating man.  Dyed black hair was being grown out of sandy blonde hair that pooled around his shoulders.  Left to him was a much shorter man, who twiddled his thumbs and glanced towards the tea.

"Wait, Ryan.  It's still here."  He motioned towards the still steaming mug.  "She wouldn't have resisted it; it's her favourite leaves, mug, everything."  His thumbs were now kneading into his elbows as he rested with his pointer fingers rubbing his temples.  "Didn't Jack say she found her staring at the fire escape, well at the wall behind the ladder to the roof...Did she go back there?  Did she get her injection today?"

You stepped from the hallway and into the fluorescent lights of the kitchen and glanced frantically between the quickly cooling tea and the two imposing bodies.  You twirled your head around to glance at the hallway that lead to the rest of the crew's bedrooms, debating whether or not to cut ties and leave.  Jeremy followed your eyes, then backed away from you, tugging at Ryan's waist to follow suit.  You smiled vaguely, not focusing on either of them as you reached towards the tea and Jeremy's body.  He cowered behind Ryan's body and stared right into your eyes.

In response, your face blanked.  You chugged the tea, shattered the mug within your hands, and retreated back to the shadows of the hallway.  You heard the floor creak above you as Jack and Geoff left the meeting room and heard whispers being spread around the living room as Jeremy and Ryan hushed themselves when they accidently spoke too loudly.  You narrowed your eyes and sighed, longing for everything to go back the way it had been.

You went back to your designated room, though you never spent that much time there.  It was a typical room, on the larger side with a wrap-around walk-in closet.  Your bed was forced against the back wall, parallel with the small patio.  Nothing had been altered, you remembered why you never stayed in your own room for long.

You changed your clothes, more interested in going unseen that in hygiene.  Exiting the room, you muddled around the complex, not sure what you were looking for.  You chose not to notice Jeremy and Ryan in the living room, and instead went down the fire escape to exit the building.  You also chose not to notice their searing stares on your back.  As the evening went by, you wandered the city and finally settled in a small café near the outskirts.  It was next day when you finally returned to the complex.

They all were seated in the living room, scattered around the room yet pointedly loose around the edges of the group.

"And, where have you been?"

You stood still, not meeting their eyes and with no words to answer Geoff's question.  He shook his head, "So then, still silence?  When are you going to realize that your silence only hurts you more.  Your brain," he pointed to his temple with his heavily tattooed hands and immaculate nails, "shouldn't be fighting the fight by itself."

You dodged everyone's eyes and ended up staring down Geoff unintentionally.  It wasn't your fault he was sitting.  You shook your head, walking away from everyone and closer to the rooftop, "I say everything all the time.  No one picks up on it."


	3. Someone Pays Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silence is being broken. What happened to you? Why do you insist on being so on-edge? Is it justified...or are you being an asshole?

You had been on the roof for a while, the sun was now above you and the bags under your eyes told everyone you had been awake for more than twenty four hours.  You heard the roof's hatch open and close quietly, but certainly not discreetly.  You flipped yourself off the dormer, not wanting to talk to anyone.  You heard light footsteps head to the dormer, then stop.

"Kitty, you can't."

"I know, Jeremy sent me to check up on you."

"He can check on me himself, damnit."  You mumbled and kicked your left leg towards the horizon, alternating between your right and left.  You felt ashamed; you only spoke to her, and even then, only when no one else was around.

"Hey, I got up for you.  Well, for him, for you.  I won't stay long, got a job downtown to finish off today."  She cocked her hips sideways and rested her elbows against the lip.

"Who's it again?"

"Some dude swimming in his own filth.  He's been on Geoff's radar for more than a few years by now.  Still thinks I'm gonna marry him."  She grumbled and put her head onto her forearms.  You heard her wince but decided to not comment about it.  She sighed and turned to leave.  You crawled back up the dormer and watched the hatch close.  Curling up against the air con, you were roughly awoken by screams of anguish.

Kitty was staring at you with her eyebrows knitted together and multiple lines forming up her forehead.  She had a weeping laceration going parallel with her jaw bone.  "You've been up here for two days.  I doubt you've had your injection since I've left.  I told Jeremy you were up here and to take care of you.  I see that he's not been around."

You vaguely smiled at her, disinterest evident through your glassy eyes.  You tried to curl up against the air con again, but you failed as she carried you to the infirmary.  The last thing you remember is Kitty pinching your antecubital, possibly to prep an IV.

You opened your eyes to the familiar ceiling of your room.  You went to get up, but something was pinning your feet down.  Your eyes finally landed on Jeremy at the base of your bed, head in his hands.  As you pulled yourself up your headboard, you shuffled out of the blankets and immediately dropped to the floor.  Almost as quickly, Jeremy was by your side on the floor of your bedroom helping you lean against the wall.  Kitty had been right, but your injections shouldn't be the one thing to keep you alive.  You smiled at him weakly, worked your way up the wall, and then left him in the room calling your name.

You went back to the infirmary, sat on the empty hospital bed and smacked your arm to prepare for your injection.  Goosebumps ran up your arm, but no one came to you.  Gingerly, you stepped away from the infirmary and started to stalk around the complex.  You went back to your room, but Jeremy wasn't there.  Instead you found Kitty sitting on your floor asleep.

As you nudged her awake with your foot, you also ended up on the floor.  She awake, denoted by her eyes opening into a slit.  "And where have you been?   _I_ have been here for twenty minutes, waiting to give you your injection for the day."  You noticed the stiches that held her laceration in places.  This time, you decided to ask about it.

"Kitty, your face."

"It's not my best feature," she swatted your hand away, patting her forearm where the skin was agitated, "it doesn't matter what happens to it."

"What happened to it?"  You sounded more pointed than you wanted.

"He didn't take too kindly to me.  So, I put a knife through his jugular and then he sliced my jaw open in a feeble attempt to get me to stop.  Went right through the internal carotid artery, so no way he was going to live anyway."  She nonchalantly slapped your forearm and then turned your head to the left.  You stared at Jeremy, standing in the doorway with wide eyes.  He stuttered, blushed, and then left quickly.  You pulled away from Kitty to follow him instinctively, but she growled and yanked you back.  You hissed in annoyance and stayed still until it was over, glowering at where he once was.  She released your arm, calling after you with a scowl on her face.

You immediately found Jeremy sitting in the living room with his back turned to you.  As you reached out for his shoulder, the others crowded around the room.  You cracked your neck and entered the ring in order to put space between you and everyone.

For a few antagonizing minutes, no one said anything.  They all stood there, twitching every so often to maintain blood flow.  You offered no explanation and asked for no explanation on their part.  Eventually, Kitty stepped forward, "So I haven't slept in sixty hours.  I am tired, and I am pissed that I even have to be involved.  I say, if you don't wanna talk, then you don't gotta."

You smiled at her, knowing she understood what you had always been saying.  "Why are you involved in their trash?"

"I'm not," she turned and started toward Geoff, "nor will I ever be."

"Go sleep, Kitty."  You stared at Geoff as Kitty left, then shifted your stare onto Jeremy.  "And why was I left to rot on the rooftop for two days?"

He stared right back at you, expression blank.  "You're alive!  I checked on you every now and then.  You were sleeping so well I thought it would be okay, but your injections...so I didn't know how long to leave you."  He fiddled with the hem on his muscle shirt, and inadvertently expressed his anxiety.

You shook your head, "This is between you and I, why involve the rest of the crew?  Don't we have a heist to do next week?"

"Can we talk about this, now?"  His eyes darted between the floor and your gaze.  You crossed your arms and pushed towards the wall to stop Jack's attempt to finish the circle.  You hissed at her in annoyance, and then immediately felt bad.  Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Kitty walk through the living room and towards the kitchen.  You did not see her go back through the living room.

Geoff had been talking for a bit, but you didn't know what he was saying.  You shrugged, "It's between Jeremy and I.  We are dating, or did you forget that?"

He threw his hands in the air, yelling.  "What happens between you and Jeremy between this entire crew!  Have you not been paying attention to the life lesson speech I was JUST giving you?"

"No, Geoff, why would I pay attention to you?"  You pointed towards the kitchen, "Kitty isn't here and she's part of your crew."

You hated yourself for the look of hurt that passed on Ryan's face.  For a second, you thought about continuing your thoughts.  Jack spoke up quietly from your left, "Obviously this goes deeper than just between you and Jeremy.  Have you forgotten what Kitty has done for you?"

You shrugged with your arms crossed still.  Kitty had been kind, and you certainly remembered that.  You saw her creep out of the kitchen, place her finger over her throat, and drag it across, all with a dead look on her face.  She stared longingly at Ryan's head, then left your field of view.

Jeremy stepped forward, tearing you away from your thoughts and to put you into a defensive stance.  "Look, you're defensive already and we haven't even actually talked about it since you got back.  So, maybe we all just go to bed, and then in the morning, we can talk over some coffee or tea or whatever."

With that, you pushed past Gavin and Geoff and went off to the rooftop.  Jeremy practically shouted after you, exasperation clear in his voice, "I understand what you're saying!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much, I really appreciate it guys. ^^


	4. Listen to Me, I Can't Seem to Stop Screaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty? The human.  
> Some history between you two is beginning to see the light...from the fight FAHC is currently enveloped in.

Your sleep that night was good, but it wasn't that you were tired.  You were entirely ecstatic, he finally was understanding.  You slept for thirteen hours.

It was early morning when you finally awoke.  You shuffled out of your room, wrapped in your slowly cooling blanket, and ghosted around the complex  At first, you found yourself at Jeremy's door.  Then, you found yourself at Kitty's door.  After standing for what seemed like hours, you heard the light slap of feet to your right, down the corridor.  You emerged from the mound of blanket to see Ryan looking down at you.

"And, what can I do for you, little one?"  You frowned at his terminology as he chuckled to himself, "If you want to speak to her, you'll have to wait until I get her up."

You nodded sheepishly, why would she be awake just for you, at this time of day.  You stood, slipping on the blanket, and turned your nose up as you slid away.  You heard him knock on the door and open it with a chuckle.

A low rumble made you jerk your head.  The ground shook as you threw yourself to the ground.  Out of the window-enclosed hallway, you saw billowing black smoke arising from the Maze Bank.  Fear gripped your mind as you instinctively hit within your blanket mound.  Ryan rounded the corner with Kitty slung over his shoulder, still passed out.  He chuckled again and extended his free hand to help you up, "I suppose they forgot to warn you.  Jeremy, Michael, and Gavin are on a small job for Geoff.  They won't be back for a few days.  For now, we are to go to a safehouse on the East side.  Geoff and Jack are already hiding.  Meet me in the garage as soon as possible."  He tossed the instructions over his back, after ensuring that you were stable.

"Why do you take care of Kitty; she never takes care of you."

His facial expression darkened as his back curved forward, "You, little one, are in no position to ask such crass questions."

You turned and flopped to the floor, cursing your warm environment.  Shaking the blanket off, you folded it into an abomination and briskly headed to your room.  Putting your hair up, you nabbed your pillow while juggling the poor excuse you called folding.  Another explosion rocked the complex as you hustled toward the elevator and impatiently entered the garage.  Ryan was wrestling an unconscious Kitty into the back as you slipped by and entered the dark-tinted SUV.  Situating yourself, you sighed as Ryan's growls got more aggressive.  You transitioned into the backseat, next to Kitty, and held her in place, "Ryan, drive."  You chose to not pay attention to his deepening growls.

You made sure her extremities were clear of the door, then reached over and slammed the door shut.  Ryan had wasted no time, choosing to leave before you had secured the door.

Another explosion went off as he headed East, quietly talking to the for-once peaceful Kitty.  You weren't surprised Kitty was still asleep.

~~~

You had met Kitty when you were seventeen.  Los Santos was notorious for teenagers going missing.  You had made a deal with a gang leader to take her out.

Your limo pulled up fifteen minutes late for the socialite event.  As you stepped out, cameras blinded you and your eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as you swayed to keep your balance.  You were careful to keep your expression neutral as you made your way up the stairs and into the overtly grand venue.  An older gentleman extended his arm for you to take it as he whisked you around the room.  You noted where your target was, and where our target was suppose to be later.  You shivered and lightly brushed your hand against his shoulder, tutting while strutting away.  You headed to an outside porch, climbed the closest pillar, then lazily slipped your shoes back on.  You sauntered around the level, appearing as if you were meant to be there to the security guards.  You cocked your hips a bit more when you noticed a few of them watching.  After entering the correctly marked bedroom, you quickly changed into more casual clothing.  You snuck back out and waited in the designated closet across the hall for the target.  As you waited, you saw your partner get into his position.  Your target attacked your partner, so you stepped into the fray to defend when needed.  You knew better than to jump into a fight and let your target turn you into a weapon.  You circled the room, watching the fight ensue.  Your partner was losing the fight, much to your dismay, but you still refrained.  You watched as she ripped his throat open and his life slowly vanished from his eyes.

You remained neutral; you still had a job to do.  Your target stood, grip on the combat knife slacking, and her eyes rose to meet yours.  You saw slight fear when she recognized your lack of emotion.  She kicked the body away from you and her, then squared up against you.

"I can tell you weren't attached to him, since you haven't attacked me for what I've done.  I suppose I'm your target, but I was told there was only one person who was after me."  She danced around the elephant in the room with grace.

"And to who do I owe the pleasure of getting rid of my competition?"

"Don't flatter yourself, you wish you could do what I can."

Your face remained neutral, other than a slight upturn in your eyebrow that gave away your interest in her proposition.

From that point onward, though you did not come to trust her until years later, Kitty taught you everything you knew and everything you said you didn't know how to do.  You two were a dynamic duo for three years, until Ryan decided to intervene.   You had never been mad at him; he had come at a bad time when money and food were both low, and he had promised he would keep Kitty happy.  You had, however, felt jealous of him.  He could get Kitty to do whatever he wanted.  She was like putty in his hands.

The same thing could be said about you with Jeremy.  He was nowhere around you as you curled tighter into a ball on the narrow cot.  Feeling numb, you were ready to let the exhaustion overwhelm you.  It had been months since you had allowed someone to touch you as intimately as Ryan and Kitty were.  As you slipped into the darkness, you were acutely away of Kitty's eyes staring at your exposed face surrounded by the thin mound of blanket.


	5. Whiskers on a Warm Day

When you awoke, both Ryan and Kitty were gone.  You could barely unfold your knees, and you thought rigor mortis had set in.  Slowly, you removed the blanket from over your cold body to stretch, allowing the blood to reach your toes as you felt the familiar orthostatic ischemia being remedied.

You got up and stood for the first time in a while, possibly a few days.  You saw their shoes in a little line near the bottom paneling of the cramped bedroom.  Ignoring them, you opened the door to a chilly, crisp room.  The windows across the room were open and you could hear a conversation happening somewhere outside.

"How much?  No price is too expensive."

"She wouldn't accept anything from him anyway.  You saw how crushed he was after?"

Sticking your head out first, you pulled yourself onto the small lip of the roof.  You heard their conversation lull as you slowly crept to join them.  Respectfully, you stayed closer to Kitty than to Ryan.

Kitty turned her attention to you, "How are you; it's about time for your injection."

"Not today Kitty, I don't want it."  You didn't look at her, simply stared at the unappealing sea of roofs, "Isn't it time I stop?  I'm tired of dealing with them."

Ryan's ear twitched, "What are they for?  No one ever explained to us why you need them.  I  _do_ know that your dose had gotten reduced.  Most of it is actually a placebo."  You noticed genuine concern in his voice.

You nodded, still not looking into their eyes, "Yeah, but I don't know if I actually need it anymore.  Geoff hasn't even combat-ready me, so why should I keep taking it?"

Kitty's left eyebrow raised, "Do  _you_ even know what it's filled with?  You're the one who's having it injected into your body."  Her raven hair flew into her face, much to her annoyance and Ryan's amusement.  You chuckled along with Ryan, but refused to remove your sight from the goddamn ugly roofs.  For a minute, it felt like you three were back to the old days.

You smiled at yourself, shoulders relaxing and, for once, your body stopped shaking, "It's a supplement of Vitamin C, Iron, and Magnesium.  It's to regulate my heart rate, prevent a heart attack, and feed my brain."  You unfolded your extremities, then quickly folded your legs back into your chest.

Ryan cleared his throat, "So, what is the placebo?  And, Geoff did clear you for combat, we just haven't done anything that would need your sort of expertise."

You frowned, "It's a normal saline placebo, in place of the Vitamin C and Magnesium.  I need a regular dose of Iron, which I _could_ obtain through a daily pill.  Ryan, you're wrong and right.  Geoff cleared my for something, but it wasn't combat.  I think it was medically."

You watched Kitty settle deeper into Ryan's slightly curved chest.  She looked peaceful, even though her right eye still twitched every now and then.  She had sharp, black cat-eye eyeliner on, while Ryan was in his full-face paint.  You noticed a small flourish on his right cheek and mulled over it for what felt like a year.

You were sure he felt your saddened gaze, "Kitty did your face paint."

HIs eyes darted to you, and they lingered longer than they should have, "Yes, she has been wanting to do it since I let Jeremy do it.  There wasn't much deviancy, but I do like the flourish she put; it's special."  His voice got higher as he explained, only for him to clear his throat.

"That's kind of her.  How long have we been here; I thought maybe I was dead with how locked-up my joints were when I awoke," you rubbed your face in remembrance.

"Oh, you've been asleep for, what Ryan, five days?"  He nodded as she continued, "Geoff said we could return when you were stable enough, so we've just been hanging out a undercover a bit too domestically until you decided to wake up."  She laughed, "We made sure your vitals wee safe and we heated you externally, but it was totally up to you when you decided to return to us.  Honestly, I turned down Jeremy because I was afraid you would awaken too soon.  He said he would wake you up, but I told him to let you sleep as much as you needed."

You winced, "Jeremy wanted to come to...me?"

Kitty turned cautiously to you, "Yes...he worries about you.  And, we don't know how to actually wake you up."  She cleared her throat, "We'll go about our normal day here, then we can head back once I medically clear you."  You noticed her heard turn slightly, before noticing Ryan throwing himself over Kitty to reach you.  He pinned you against the roof while Kitty smacked the closest antecubital to her.  Ryan blocked your view, but anxiety filled you nonetheless until you felt the familiar burn of the serum.

After Ryan got off of you, Kitty cleared her throat.  You stared at her, emotionally dead, "What do you two do?"  You noticed fear starting to pool in her eyes.

~~~

You looked over the mangoes on display, aware of no one watching you and how frozen the poor things were.  You mumbled, put it back, and turned to Ryan, "Do we really need to be here any longer?"  You motioned towards the basically bare grocery cart.

To your annoyance, he laughed, "I don't make those types of decisions.  You, of all the fucks in this world, know that."

You watched Kitty pick over bananas, "No one takes as much tine to food-shop as Kitty."  She picked up a few bunches, shook her head, and moved onto the apples.  Leaning against the mango stand, you closed your eyes and groaned, "If this is domestic life...I don't think it's the life for me."

Ryan laughed briskly and peered at you from the safety of his hat's shadow, "You can't picture yourself grocery shopping with Jeremy?  All he buys is energy drinks anyway."  Kitty returned to you two with a raw salmon and began to head towards the check outs.

You scoffed at Ryan, attempting to stare him down, "If it's that simple, maybe.  He's not a rather picky eater, though you'd know more about that than I."

The cashier did a double-take on Kitty, making you feel jealous she didn't do the same to you.  Jenna, the name tag read, spoke so softly, you had to prevent yourself from leaning in to hear her.  She watched Kitty pull out a wad of cash and her eyes filled with fear as she realized who was in front of her.  Kitty noticed, dropped a few hundreds, winked, and then began running for the exit with the few bagged goods.  Ryan chuckled darkly, following Kitty.  You began running as well, apologizing to the cashier with a sarcastic shrug.

Once a few blocks away, you frowned, "I think we ruined her day."

Kitty laughed, looking at the goods, "And, I think I may have over paid her.  I'm surprised you didn't climb down her throat after I threw a cheeky wink.:

Ryan raised his eyebrow at Kitty, but kept his eyes on the road, "Oh?  Why am I  _just_ now learning about this 'cheeky wink'?  Why don't I ever get this 'cheeky wink'?"  You laughed as his shoulder dropped and his hands flew exasperatedly into the air, "I do everything, and get nothing."

You stifled your laugh, "What else do you two do?"

Kitty twisted to turn to you, "Geoff said we gotta go back A.S.A.P., so domestic life is on the backburner."  You were caught off-guard by her searching look; it was a quiet drive home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I still don't know how to indent my paragraphs. :(((


	6. Small Paces for a Small Person

Geoff had been pacing around the living room for a while; his path etched deeply into the beige carpet.  Jack and Michael were talking between themselves with hushed voices while Jeremy and Gavin were going between three different laptops each.  Kitty was sprawled out on the floor staring at the foggy horizon; a grunt could be heard from her every once in a while.  The whole scene was strange to you and it didn't feel familiar.  It reminded you of the day Jack had been captured.  And, you certainly didn't want to think about that.

Jack shifted in her perch on the couch, back muscles so tense you thought her shirt was going to rip.  Gavin sighed, making her shoulders relax for a minute, then she heaved off the couch and headed for the kitchen.  You took the time to quietly creep from the hallway entrance to the couch next to Michael.  But, you couldn't sit down.  Not yet.  It still wasn't time.

You huffed at Michael and he shook his head in response.  He patted the seat beside him with his usual pissed off expression.  You barely smiled and didn't move.  You opened your mouth slightly, but Jeremy slammed his laptop down before you, "I just can't find it, Gav.  I don't know how you do this so well."

You threw yourself backwards, arms brought up to your head while your legs collapsed under you.  You weren't shaking, but you weren't breathing either.  Jeremy rubbed his face, exhaustion evident through his hands.  Geoff was still pacing, but stopped when Jack entered the room.  She tapped Kitty's thigh, "What's Ryan doing?"

Kitty grumbled and pushed herself into a partially-sitting position, "Weren't you here when Geoff told him to fuck himself?  I told Ryan to send me a picture  _when_ he accomplished it."  She leaned closer to Jack, her words not anymore quieter, "You gotta let him believe he can do nothing so he will think he can do anything."

Jack laughed, almost spilling the drinks she was carrying.  She set them on the glass table top and continued to laugh so hard she started wheezing.  Geoff's annoyance left his body as he laughed with Jack.  You watched, peering over the couch, as Kitty snapped a picture of Jack and Geoff laughing with each other.  You joined in with a short, airy laugh that you didn't immediately regret.  You watched Kitty stare at her phone, then watched as Geoff and Jack slowly stopped.

Your eyes darted to Jeremy, who was dumb smiling at what was before him.  A part of you wanted to touch him.  Another part of you wanted to continue laughing.  You peered from the couch, unable to decide what to do.  Watching him made you feel as if you had no say in what he could or could not do.  He effortlessly  _looked_ amazing.

He must have noticed your stare; he turned slowly and met your eyes.  You saw his crow's feet for the first time in a while.  You saw how his smile filed his face.  You saw him blush and fiddle with his hair.  You smiled slightly at him, and watched his features brighten as if he won the lottery.  You wanted to move towards him, get closer.

You stood, staring at him.  He stared back, clearly confused.  You shrugged slowly and motioned towards the laptop chugging along behind him.  He looked at it, turned back to you and nodded with a serious air about him, "Sorry, I didn't realize you were here."

Michael pulled his head back in disgust, "You should just date your laptop.  It talks to you more, even if it's a language you don't understand."

Jeremy looked abashed, "Look..."

"He didn't know because he was busy doing a job you can't do," Your own voice startled you; you didn't realize you spoke until it had already happened.  Geoff and Jack stopped whispering to watch now.  Kitty, who had settled into Ryan, turned half-heartedly to the conversation.

Michael shook his head and shrugged, "You got me there.  I know some of it, but I don't know how to exploit their uses...do you?"

Your face and body turned neutral, "I do not."

Jeremy laughed, "Okay, look, you can't go back to minimum answers."  Kitty snorted during Jeremy's pause, "What can you do with computers?"

"What she can do, instead, is shut up, sit down, and be quiet," Geoff's statement was met with a short "no" from Jack.  She broke from Geoff, feigning annoyance.

You chuckled, choosing to lean against the dull white wall.  Jeremy flicked his eyebrows at you then sat on the couch, purposefully moving one of his computers from the couch.  You saw it would be just enough space for you...

 

~~~

 

"The plan was simple, simple yet elegant.  What ever went wrong would always go wrong, but everything would be better in the end.  What was the end, when would it happen."

"Kitty shut up.  Keep your existential crisis to yourself."

"What, Jack?  I can't hear you over wondering how the planetary gravity keeps us grounded or if the Moon just really hates us."

"Oh Kitty, please stop talking.  Do my cats hate me?"

You saw Gavin put his gun down and Michael switched to their private channel.  In a small voice, you announced to no one in particular, "No one hates you Gavin."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this! If you like it, hate it, love it, need more, or anything else please let me know! They will be longer in the future, but right now I am doing my best to explore this website since it's my first time using it.


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